Born and raised in Rocky Mount, N.C., I graduated from Rocky Mount High School in 2008, and attended UNCP from 2008-2012. While at UNCP, I was on the staff of The Pine Needle student newspaper during each of my four years. I began as a sports writer before moving up first to an Assistant Sports Editor and then becoming the Sports Editor as a junior. As a senior, I held the titles of Editor-in-Chief and Sports Editor for the publication. The Pine Needle was awarded First Place and distinguished as the best student newspaper in the U.S. in the American Scholastic Press Association's annual Newspaper Review and Contest in each of my four years, as well as earning the title of "Outstanding Sports Section" in the American Scholastic Press Association's annual Newspaper Review and Contest each year over the same time span. Personally, I was also honored by the North Carolina College Media Association for two athletics stories that I wrote the first, in 2011, came in the feature story category for an article titled "UNCP Football: The Right Decision" with the second, in 2012, coming in the sports category for an article titled "Britt doesn't let height hold him back." In addition to working with The Pine Needle, I also worked with WNCP-TV, the university's student television station I served as the lead play-by-play announcer, calling games for UNCP sports for three years. I was named the 2011-2012 "Editor of the Year" for The Pine Needle and was the 2011-2012 Newy Scruggs Sports Broadcasting Endowed Scholarship recipient. I was the 2009-2010 recipient of the "Rookie of the Year" award from the UNCP Department of Mass Communication for academic success within the department. I served was the President of the University Ambassadors from 2010-2012 and I am also a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success.

The most important lesson UNCP taught me was to be yourself and, through that, you will find out where you are meant to go. By doing this I solidified my decision as to what I wanted to do for a career and gained valuable experience while a student. Coming to college isn't about knowing every person or being the cool guy, it's about an education and preparing yourself for life. The professors at UNCP helped prepare me for life while teaching me, and people found out who I was because of my passion, regardless of if it was taking photos at a sports game or covering a campus event.

My advice would be to use UNCP as a stepping stone to the next point in your life instead of seeing college as the top step. The faculty, staff and fellow students all will help you in your journey through this stage of life and help prepare you for the future steps, but you have to allow them to. If you give 110 percent, then UNCP will give you all that back and then some.